The present invention relates to the field of anti-inflammatory substances which act by is inhibiting leukocyte adhesion to endothelial cells. More particularly, the present invention is directed to novel ligands for the mammalian adhesion proteins known as selectins.
During inflammation leukocytes adhere to the vascular endothelium and enter subendothelial tissue, an interaction which is mediated by specific binding of the selectin or LEC-CAM class of proteins to ligands on target cells. Such selectin-mediated cellular adhesion also occurs in thrombotic disorders and parasitic diseases and may be implicated in metastatic spread of tumor cells.
The selectin proteins are characterized by a N-terminal lectin-like domain, an epidermal growth factor-like domain, and regions of homology to complement binding proteins. Thus far three human selectin proteins have been identified, E-selectin (formerly ELAM-1), L-selectin (formerly LAM-1) and P-selectin (formerly PADGEM or GMP-140). E-selectin is induced on endothelial cells several hours after activation by cytokines, mediating the calcium-dependent interaction between neutrophils and the endothelium. L-selectin is the lymphocyte homing receptor, and P-selectin rapidly appears on the cell surface of platelets when they are activated, mediating calcium-dependent adhesion of neutrophils or monocytes to platelets. P-selectin is also found in the Weibel-Palade bodies of endothelial cells; upon its release from these vesicles P-selectin mediates early binding of neutrophils to histamine-or thrombin-stimulated endothelium.
Selectins are believed to mediate adhesion through specific interactions with ligands present on the surface of target cells. Generally the ligands of selectins are comprised at least in part of a carbohydrate moiety. For example, E-selectin binds to carbohydrates having the terminal structure
and also to carbohydrates having the terminal structure
where R=the remainder of the carbohydrate chain. These carbohydrates are known blood group antigens and are commonly referred to as sialyl Lewisx and sialyl Lewisa, respectively. The presence of the sialyl Lewisx antigen alone on the surface of an endothelial cell may be sufficient to promote binding to an E-selectin expressing cell. E-selectin also binds to carbohydrates having the terminal structures

As with E-selectin, each selectin appears to bind to a range of carbohydrates with varying affinities. The strength of the selectin mediated adhesive event (binding affinity) may also depend on the density of the carbohydrate and on the density of the selectin on the cell surface.
P-selectin binds to carbohydrates containing the non-sialated form of the Lewisx blood group antigen and with higher affinity to sialyl Lewisx. P-selectin may also recognize sulfatides, which are heterogeneous 3-sulfated galactosyl ceramides, isolated from myeloid and tumor cells by lipid extraction. However, the binding of cells bearing P-selectin to cells bearing P-selectin ligands is abolished when the ligand-bearing cells are treated with proteases, indicating that the P-selectin ligand may be a glycoprotein.
Two putative glycoprotein ligands for P-selectin have recently been identified, one of which has been partially purified, (Moore et al., J. Cell Biol. 118, 445-456 (1992)). However, neither amino acid composition nor the amino acid sequence of these glycoproteins are disclosed.